On Beaked whale stranding in Antalya 2017

On Tuesday (November 14, 2017), we’ve been informed by Akdeniz University, Faculty of Fisheries’ Dean Prof. Dr. Cengiz Deval about a stranded beaked whale in Antalya. ~5 meter-long male whale was taken to the Campus. With the participation of TUDAV’s DVM Dr. Erdem Danyer and Marine Biologist Dr. Elif Özgür Özbek the necropsy was completed. The whale will be buried by the faculty so as to preserve its skeleton for future studies. Preliminary findings suggest the young whale was infested with endoparasites. Further research is being conducted.

Currently, the biggest threat to beaked whales in general is anthropogenic noise, such as seismic surveys and military mid˗frequency sonar. Beaked whale strandings were significantly correlated with naval activity in the Mediterranean. Besides they are affected negatively by marine debris.